IndyCar owner Roger Penske and General Motors racing executive Jim Campbell both believe Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports should be granted a waiver to ensure Larson isn’t excluded from the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
“That’s up to NASCAR,” Penske told NBCSports.com Thursday in Detroit, the site of this weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar Series race. “Certainly, I want to see him not lose anything by coming to the Indy 500. Larson came here with Hendrick Motorsports to race, they did a great job, and I think it’s great for the sport.
“It’s really good for NASCAR. I know they will handle it properly.”
Larson had already secured a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by winning two of the first 13 races in 2024. However, his eligibility is now in question because he missed the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the 108th Indianapolis 500, which was delayed by rain for four hours on May 26.
Larson, along with Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon, decided to prioritize Larson’s participation in the Indy 500, allowing Justin Allgaier to start the 600 in Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet.
Larson made every effort to return to the race and arrived at Charlotte at 9:13 p.m. ET on Sunday night. Just ten minutes after he arrived and waited in the pits to take over, a storm hit the speedway, and the race was red-flagged. Racing never resumed, and Christopher Bell was declared the winner.
Because Larson missed a NASCAR Cup Series race, he needs a playoff waiver from the sanctioning body to participate in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. According to NASCAR rules, a driver must start all 26 regular-season races to be eligible for the playoffs.
As of Tuesday morning, a competition official stated that NASCAR was awaiting a waiver request from Hendrick Motorsports.
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